This year I have met or connected with amazing kidlit people with great book recommendations. Here's a list of the best books I read in 2009 (in no particular order)
Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction
1. BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2009) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2. HUNGER GAMES (2008) and CATCHING FIRE (2009) by Suzanne Collins
3. GRACELING (2008) and FIRE (2009) by Kristin Cashore
4. THE MAZE RUNNER (2009) by James Dashner
5. GRAVEYARD BOOK (2008) by Neil Gaiman
6. SHIVER (2009) by Maggie Stiefvater
7. SILVER PHOENIX (2009) by Cindy Pon
8. ENDERS GAME (8th Printing 1994) by Orson Scott Card
Young Adult Realistic Fiction
1. PURGE (2009) by Sarah Darer Littman
2. HATE LIST (2009) by Jennifer Brown
3. ONCE WAS LOST (2009) by Sara Zarr
4. IF I STAY (2009) by Gayle Forman
5. LOOKING FOR ALASKA (2005) by John Green
6. THIRTEEN REASONS WHY (2007) by Jay Asher
7. EVERY SOUL A STAR (2008) by Wendy Mass
Middle Grade Favorites
1. PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE (2009) by Cynthea Liu
2. THE DOG DAYS OF CHARLOTTE HAYES (2009) by Marlane Kennedy
3. YEAR OF THE DOG (2007) and YEAR OF THE RAT (2008) by Grace Lin
4. THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW (2009) by Tim Kehoe
5. THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY (2009) by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
What books are on your list?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
My Day at BEA (Book Expo America)
This was my first year at Book Expo America, an event I recommend highly to all teachers, librarians, writers, and publishing people. Thanks to my friend Jody, I had the opportunity to attend in a unique way. This is what BEA looked like when I arrived:
Notice the lack of people. BEA opened at 9:00. My day started at 7:00am.
As a volunteer in the autographing area, I was in charge of signs. At 7:30 I placed the hanging signs on the poles. Then, starting at 10:30, each half hour I switched them to make sure the right book hung from all 30 autograph lines. It was a tough job (only because the signs hung at about 5'9" and I am 5'2"), but someone had to do it.
Other than the sign turning, I spent the day visiting booths, meeting friends, talking to authors, editors, agents, and librarians. I also spent a lot of time in the Green Room, welcoming authors and their entourage, as they prepared for their signing time.
Here are some highlights of my day:
1. Being fifth online for Kate DiCamillo as she signed hard copy editions of the Tales of Despereaux at the First Book booth. My only disappointment of the day was missing the chance to get the ARC of her new book, The Magicians Elephant.
2. Meeting the Tiffanys in the real world. Here are twitter friends Tiffany Schmidt (in purple) and Tiffany E (in pink).
3. Talking with editors/publishers Joni Sussman of Kar-Ben, Andrea Spooner and Jennifer Hunt from Little, Brown, Evelyn Fazio from WestSide Books, Andrea Davis Pinkney from Scholastic, and literary agent Michael Bourret.
4. Being surrounded by writers, publishing companies, and LOTS of books.
5. Taking home 20!!! free
books/ARCs, 5 of them signed. Here is Tiffany Schmidt getting a book signed by Sara Zarr.
In the end, I left BEA tired and worn with lots to read and remember. (BEA at 6:15 pm).
Notice the lack of people. BEA opened at 9:00. My day started at 7:00am.
As a volunteer in the autographing area, I was in charge of signs. At 7:30 I placed the hanging signs on the poles. Then, starting at 10:30, each half hour I switched them to make sure the right book hung from all 30 autograph lines. It was a tough job (only because the signs hung at about 5'9" and I am 5'2"), but someone had to do it.
Other than the sign turning, I spent the day visiting booths, meeting friends, talking to authors, editors, agents, and librarians. I also spent a lot of time in the Green Room, welcoming authors and their entourage, as they prepared for their signing time.
Here are some highlights of my day:
1. Being fifth online for Kate DiCamillo as she signed hard copy editions of the Tales of Despereaux at the First Book booth. My only disappointment of the day was missing the chance to get the ARC of her new book, The Magicians Elephant.
2. Meeting the Tiffanys in the real world. Here are twitter friends Tiffany Schmidt (in purple) and Tiffany E (in pink).
3. Talking with editors/publishers Joni Sussman of Kar-Ben, Andrea Spooner and Jennifer Hunt from Little, Brown, Evelyn Fazio from WestSide Books, Andrea Davis Pinkney from Scholastic, and literary agent Michael Bourret.
4. Being surrounded by writers, publishing companies, and LOTS of books.
5. Taking home 20!!! free
books/ARCs, 5 of them signed. Here is Tiffany Schmidt getting a book signed by Sara Zarr.
In the end, I left BEA tired and worn with lots to read and remember. (BEA at 6:15 pm).
Sunday, May 3, 2009
What I Am Reading: Purge
Purge by Sarah LittmanMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sarah Darer Littman's new book Purge is the story of Janie, a girl who is in a hospital for people with eating disorders. Using a combination of group sessions, diary entries, and relationships with other people in the hospital, Sarah opens a window into the all to real world of people with eating issues. A definite "must read" for adults and teens.
View all my reviews.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Twitch
Nice Mommy/Evil Editor, Anglea James, has a great post this week called, "What can Twitter do for your pitch?"
In a nutshell, she recommends practicing your pitch (or twitch) on twitter to take advantage of the 140 character limit. By limiting the number of characters you can use, you have to get rid of the garbage and get down to what really matters.
She says, "But what I’m getting at is that it’s important to be able for authors to refine your book to its purest hook. The conflict, the angst, the info that’s going to make a reader, editor or agent want to pick it up to read, go find an excerpt, request a full or keep reading your query letter."
(One side note: She clearly states that one should never actually send this twitch TO an agent of editor directly. Too tacky.)
So, my twitch: 10yo Zoey would do ANYTHING to save her parent's marriage. But can a carsick mosquito-phobe survive a cross country camping trip?
How'd I do? Would you read it?
In a nutshell, she recommends practicing your pitch (or twitch) on twitter to take advantage of the 140 character limit. By limiting the number of characters you can use, you have to get rid of the garbage and get down to what really matters.
She says, "But what I’m getting at is that it’s important to be able for authors to refine your book to its purest hook. The conflict, the angst, the info that’s going to make a reader, editor or agent want to pick it up to read, go find an excerpt, request a full or keep reading your query letter."
(One side note: She clearly states that one should never actually send this twitch TO an agent of editor directly. Too tacky.)
So, my twitch: 10yo Zoey would do ANYTHING to save her parent's marriage. But can a carsick mosquito-phobe survive a cross country camping trip?
How'd I do? Would you read it?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Results of Critique
In my last post I wrote about handling critique. Now I have to face reality... My WIP is a quiet story about two sisters who go on a camping trip, not an epic journey across America.
Positives:
* Great dialogue
* Well developed family relationships
* Beautiful setting description
* Interesting supporting characters
* Well-written small moments
Negatives:
* Main character isn't distinct
* It's an adventure story without much adventure
How did this happen?
Well, the story is based on a camping trip I took with my own family in 1982. While I changed some characters, introduced new characters, and changed the motivation behind the trip, I had so much fun researching the real trip that I forced the story line into the setting instead of allowing the story to take its own path. My story map was an actual map made on mapquest.
What to do now?
Take to re-plot, rethink, and get to know my character a bit better. Why is she on this trip?
And then?
And then I can decide if this is a story I need to tell or if the book is just a memory best written for my own family.
Positives:
* Great dialogue
* Well developed family relationships
* Beautiful setting description
* Interesting supporting characters
* Well-written small moments
Negatives:
* Main character isn't distinct
* It's an adventure story without much adventure
How did this happen?
Well, the story is based on a camping trip I took with my own family in 1982. While I changed some characters, introduced new characters, and changed the motivation behind the trip, I had so much fun researching the real trip that I forced the story line into the setting instead of allowing the story to take its own path. My story map was an actual map made on mapquest.
What to do now?
Take to re-plot, rethink, and get to know my character a bit better. Why is she on this trip?
And then?
And then I can decide if this is a story I need to tell or if the book is just a memory best written for my own family.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Handling Critique
How do you handle critique? Do you go back and change everything based on the advice? Do you give up on the project or completely rip your work apart? Or do you take it with a grain of salt and realize that everyone has different tastes?
I tend fall someplace in between. When I am critiqued, I listen carefully to both what the critiquer is saying, and to what they aren't saying. Sometimes facial expressions and tone give you better feedback then the actual words. After listening, I ask questions. Some questions are based on their feedback. Others may be things I want to know about the manuscript that weren't said.
Once I've collected all of the feedback, I take some time to process everything I've heard. Sometimes I have an immediate plan of action. Other times it takes a few days before I decide what to do. In either case, the process helps me make decisions about my manuscript that I am comfortable with.
And, while it usually leads to weeks of careful revision and the loss of many words, the manuscript keeps getting better... which is the whole point, isn't it?
I tend fall someplace in between. When I am critiqued, I listen carefully to both what the critiquer is saying, and to what they aren't saying. Sometimes facial expressions and tone give you better feedback then the actual words. After listening, I ask questions. Some questions are based on their feedback. Others may be things I want to know about the manuscript that weren't said.
Once I've collected all of the feedback, I take some time to process everything I've heard. Sometimes I have an immediate plan of action. Other times it takes a few days before I decide what to do. In either case, the process helps me make decisions about my manuscript that I am comfortable with.
And, while it usually leads to weeks of careful revision and the loss of many words, the manuscript keeps getting better... which is the whole point, isn't it?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
#Queryfail
If you are still wondering whether or not to get a twitter account, visit #queryfail. Initiated by agent Colleen Lindsay of Fineprint Literary Management, agents from different agencies used twitter to post some of the worst lines from queries they have actually received.
Even if you don't learn anything by reading it (and if you are an unpublished writer looking for an agent, try to learn something), reading through the ridiculous and downright peculiar things people have written should brighten your day and hopefully make your own query look a lot more promising.
For more on the agents who were on twitter today visit Colleen Lindsay's Blog.
For myself, I can't wait until they do it again. Even if it did mean that I opened twitter today to find 202 unread messages.
Even if you don't learn anything by reading it (and if you are an unpublished writer looking for an agent, try to learn something), reading through the ridiculous and downright peculiar things people have written should brighten your day and hopefully make your own query look a lot more promising.
For more on the agents who were on twitter today visit Colleen Lindsay's Blog.
For myself, I can't wait until they do it again. Even if it did mean that I opened twitter today to find 202 unread messages.
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